Window-shade-cord tightener.



No. 635,l06. Patented Oct. l7, I899. E. F. MEAGHEB.

rwmnow SHADE Conn TIGHTENER.

(Application filed July 14, 1899.) 9 (No Model.)

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nrrnn STATES ATENT Prion.

EDWARD MEAGI-IER, OF GLENDALE, OHIO.

WINDOW-SHADE-CORD TIGHT-ENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,106, dated October17, 1899.

Application filed July 14,1899- Serial No. 723,794 (No model.)

To all whom it 772/6711] concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. MEAGHER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Glendale, in the county of Hamilton and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements inWindow-Shade-Gord Tighteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in curtain-cordtighteners, and has for its object to provide a device of this characforwhich shall be simple and inexpensive in construction and capable ofready and accurate adjustment for tightening or straining thecurtain-cord and which shallwhen ad justed be adapted for holding thecord properly strained The invention consists in certain novel featuresof the construction, combinatiomand arrangement of the several parts ofthe improved curtain-cord tightener whereby certain important advantagesare attained and the device is made simpler,cheaper, and otherwisebetter adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafterfully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theclaim.

In the accompanyingdrawings, which serve to illustrate my invention,Figure 1 is a face view showing a curtain-cord tightener constructedaccording to my invention, and Fig. 2 is a central section takenlongitudinally through the device. Fig. 3 is a section takentransversely through the device in the plane indicated by line a a inFig. 2.

As shown in the drawings, the frame of the device is formed of anelongated piece or '5 5, extending along its opposite sides and bent outbeyond the plane ofsaid body portion and also inturned to form atopposite sides of said body portion overhanging or undercut guides orguideways 6 6, between which is arranged to play, sliding lengthwiseover the outer surface of the body 1, a block or slide-piece 7, theopposite sides of which are formed with outwardly-extending flanges orprojections'S 8 to engage and slide along the undercut guideways 6 ofthebody portion 1 of the frame.

The slide block or plate 7 is provided upon its outer surface with aprojecting knob or handle 9 of rounded form, preferably made integralWith the slide block or plate, being carried on a rounded and reducedneck 10, over which is arranged to pass the depending bight of thecurtain-cord, as clearly shown at V min Fig. 2. The enlarged head orknob 9 serves to hold the curtain-cord securely in place againstslipping off the neck 10, the rounded form of which permits thenecessary movement of the cord in the direction of its 'length inoperating the curtain.

The slide block or plate 7 is formed with a screw-threaded openingextending through it and serving to receive a screw-threaded shaft orstem 11,, extended lengthwise along the front face of the frame andhaving its lower end provided with an enlarged and milled thumb-piece12, by means of which it may conveniently be turned. The upper end ofthe shaft or stem 11 is formed with a head or enlargement 13, held in acavity or recess 14:,

pressed in a metal strip 16, said strip having at the central part ofsaid recess or cavity an opening 15 for the passage of the stem, but ofa diameter less than that of the head or enlargement 13 thereof, so asto prevent the withdrawal of said head from the recess in the strip 1b.The strip 16 'is bent or folded upon itself at its central part, asclearly shown in Fig. 2, the ends 17 of the strip being carried over andsecured by means of a rivet 18 or the like to the bent upper part of theframe, so that the strip forms an extension from the front face of theframe at the top end thereof, and the outer ply or end 17 of said stripcloses the recess or cavity 1i and effectually prevents endwise movementof the screw shaft or stem 11.

In use the curtain-cord is passed around the under side of the neck 10of the slide plate knob 9, and when it is desired to tighten or strainsaid cord it is only necessary to turn the screw shaft or stem 1], bymeans of its milled head or thumb-piece 12, so as to cause the slideblock or piece 7 to move down along the body 1 to strain the cord.i/Vhen desired,

the cord may be loosened by turning the shaft 11 in the oppositedirection.

The device constructed as herein set forth is of an extremely simple andinexpensive nature and is especially well adapted for use, owing to theease with which the cord may be strained and the security with which itis held when adjusted, there being no liability of the slide-blockslipping up along the body 1 so as to relax the cord. It Will also beseen from the above description of my improvements that the device iscapable of some modification without material departure from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do notwish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form andarrangement of the several parts herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a curtain-cord tightener,the combination of a frame having a body portion formed with integrallateral extensions, said extensions being bent outwardly from the frontface of the body portion along opposite lateral edges thereof and beingbent toward each other to form along opposite sides of said body portionundercut guideways, a slidepiece having projections at its sidesengaging said guideways to hold the slide-piece upon the frame andformed with a screw-threaded opening, a metal strip bent upon itself andhaving both ends secured at the upper end of the body portion with thebent central part of the strip extended beyond the front face of thesame, one ply of said strip having a perforation, and a screw-threadedstem engaged with the threaded opening of the slidepiece and extendedalong the front face of the body portion, said stem having its upper endcollared in the extension formed by said strip at the upper end of thebody portion and having its opposite end free from the frame andprovided with a thumb-piece by means of which it may be turned,substantially as set forth.

Signed by me at Cincinnati, State of Ohio,

- this 12th day of July, 1899.

EDWARD F. MEAGHER. Witnesses:

JOHN ELIAS J ONES, MILES D. Oseoon.

